On March 16, 1993, with Japanese car import quotas to Europe expiring in two years, renowned cost-cutter, Agnacio Lopes De Arriortua, left his job as head of purchasing at General Motor's Opel,Germany, to become Volkswagen's Purchasing and Production Director.
GM charged that during his last months at GM, Lopez stole GM plans for ultra-low cost factories; designs for advanced cars and engines; and information about Opel's suppliers and parts.
A regional court in Frankfurt issued an injunction preventing VW from recruiting more GM staff.
All charges of anti-competitive staff poaching were later dismissed.
VW failed to get court injunctions preventing Der Spiegel magazine from publishing GM's allegations.
Darmstadt, Germany investigator, Dorothea Holland, launched still unresolved investigations into charges of industrial espionage, theft, and perjury against Lopez, his 22-year old daughter, Begounia, and other GM colleagues now at VW.
VW counter-charged that GM had planted GM documents and data in VW sites and computers.
The FBI opened still unresolved investigations of wire and mail fraud against VW and Lopez.
European government and industry leaders expressed fear that defensive allegations by VW Chairman Ferdinand Piech, that the Lopez incident amounted to U.S. industrial warfare against Germany, would destabilize U.S.-European commercial and diplomatic relations.
U.S. Commerce Secretary, Ron Brown, suggested that relations between the U.S. and Germany would be damaged if German investigators don't immediately deliver long promised data and assistance in the GM/VW case.
So far, Lopez has agreed to pay DM75,000 to set aside the perjury case against him.
